Geologic Hazards: What You Need to Know About Earth Fissures

Updated on October 19, 2014

An earth fissure that opened up in Queen Creek Arizona after heavy rains the previous night. | Source

Earth fissures are large cracks in the ground that are formed as a result of soil surface tension due to land subsidence (lowering of the ground surface elevation). Land subsidence is mainly caused by groundwater pumping. Fissure zones normally occur parallel to the edge of subsurface ridges where softer soils abut bedrock. The differences in subsurface characteristics causes the soil to experience differential settling as water is pumped out of the aquifer. This causes tension at the soil’s surface which results in the formation of a crack.

These surface fractures initially open up slowly as the land surface lowers with time. However, during large rainfall events, the cracks tend to open up much more quickly because the water erodes the soil in and around the opening. An earth fissure can potentially be hundreds of feet deep and several miles long; it is a geologic hazard that poses a significant risk to humans, animals, and our infrastructure.

Here I've drawn a cross-sectional view of an earth fissure. | Source

This is just one of the many earth fissures in southeastern Arizona. | Source

Earth Fissure Problems

Earth fissures can occur at almost any place where groundwater is being pumped to the surface. There aren’t many places that are completely safe from this geologic hazard. These hazardous cracks have caused a number of problems for Americans over the past several decades. They have destroyed pipelines, roads, canals, and even homes. There was in interesting story in 2007, where a horse was actually killed when it fell into a fissure that had opened up during the previous night’s heavy rain. That article can be found here. It’s also interesting to note that Arizona is the earth fissure capital of the country.

Another issue with earth fissures is that it creates an easy place for groundwater to become contaminated. Polluted , pesticides, and other chemicals can simply make their way deep into the earth and enter an aquifer by flowing into the crack. The infiltration process that normally would purify the water is essentially skipped where a fissure exists.

The problem of earth fissures was almost non-existent 200 years ago. Today, we are using up our groundwater reserves more than 100 times faster than nature can replenish it. This imbalance has resulted in a net drop of the groundwater table and thus a drop the ground surface elevation. Unless we can solve our water problem, we won’t be able to solve the fissure problem.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?

On of the first things you should do before buying property is to learn if there are any fissures in or around the place you are interested in. First contact your state geological survey for information. Many states, such as Arizona, have fissures maps that are freely available to the public. You can also contact a geologist or geotechnical engineer to research and investigate the property for you. They can provide you with a detailed assessment of the geologic hazards impacting the land. Another place to look for information is in the seller’s disclosure report. And finally, you can take a look at the property you are interested in on Google Earth. Sometimes evidence of earth fissures can be easily seen on aerial photographs.

The red arrows indicate locations of earth fissures. This area is located in central Arizona in the eastern outskirts of Phoenix. | Source

Avoid buying or building a structure that is on or near a fissure. Don’t be fooled by even the smallest of cracks. It only takes one good rain to open them up and there is no way to predict when that will happen. There is also no sure fire way to completely mitigate a fissure. Even if the fissure is covered up with new soil or concrete, it still has the potential to cause problems. The best tactic to prevent problems in the future is to avoid fissures entirely. Scientists and engineers are still studying ways to identify and mitigate fissure problems.

What if Your Property Already has Fissures on It?

Living with an existing fissure is possible, but there are some precautions you will need to take. Avoid disturbing the opening for any reason if you can. Every effort should be made to prevent water from getting into it. Keeping the fissure dry will help ensure that it doesn’t turn into a huge crevice. If you have plants, trees, or lawns near the crack, avoid watering them; this could also exacerbate the problem.

More by this Author

Our world is filled a multitude of geologic hazards that can cause extensive property damage and even loss of human life. Mass wasting is one of those hazards that can be avoided or mitigated if you are prepared. Learn...